SACRAMENTO,CA–Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. last week announced the appointment of Halim Dhanidina to a judgeship in the Los Angeles County Superior Court.

Halim Dhanidina, 39, of Los Angeles, has served as a deputy district attorney in the Los Angeles County District Attorneyâ€™s Office since 1998. He earned a Juris Doctorate degree from the University of California, Los Angeles School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Pomona College. He fills the vacancy created by the conversion of a court commissioner position. Dhanidina is a Democrat. According to the Muslim Public Affairs Council, Dhanidina will be the first American-Muslim judge ever appointed in California.

â€œDhanidinaâ€™s appointment is an important step in ensuring California leaders accurately reflect the communities present in our great state,â€ said Aziza Hasan, MPACâ€™s Southern California Government Relations Director. â€œThis news will benefit the community at large and serve as an important marker for Gov. Brown, who will be known as the first governor to appoint a Muslim American as a judge in the state of California.â€

For more than a year, MPAC has advocated for Dhanidinaâ€™s appointment to the Superior Court as he has an outstanding record, which includes high-level prosecutions of gang units. Dhanidina has served as a deputy district attorney in the Los Angeles County District Attorneyâ€™s Office since 1998. Over the past several years, Dhanidina has prosecuted more than two dozen murder cases, including six capital cases.

â€œI am grateful to MPAC for supporting me during this process. I also thank Gov. Brown for the opportunity to contribute to the pursuit of justice as a Muslim and as an American,â€ Dhanidina said. â€œAbove all, I am thankful to God for this achievement. As a judge, I hope to show the Muslim American community that there is a place for us to participate in all aspects of civil society. I also hope to show members of society at large that people of all backgrounds can serve the public with honor and integrity.â€